Jorge Mateo 2023

[Brooks The Great]

57 minutes ago, Fiver6565 said:

Jorge is so fun to watch when he’s going well. It’s a shame he can’t be more consistent but it’s becoming more and more clear that this is who he is. I don’t really know what you do with a player like that. If you bench him he’ll never bust back out. If you don’t you’re stuck with a .250 OPS in the lineup. 
 

I was disappointed they didn’t keep Ortiz up and give him a little more time at short. Option Vavra, since Frazier can play some RF like Vavra can. You have O’hearn so having the extra RH bat isn’t that big a deal. Nows the time to see what Ortiz has. He’s looked smooth as silk on the left side so far. 

No, Vavra should stay on the roster since he's the emergency 3rd catcher. And he's someone who can pinch hit for Ortiz (once Joey is back up) later in games if the situation calls for it.

Mateo should be a pinch runner, and emergency OF. Which, as I've said multiple times on this board, makes McKenna the next guy who should be sent down. McKenna and O'Hearn should be the next 2 guys on the chopping block. 

There are multiple scenarios where McKenna gets sent down, all of them in play over the next month. Whether it's Westburg, Cowser, or Ortiz coming up - and they're all ready to contribute - McKenna is the most expendable guy on the roster if any of those 3 are promoted and an injury to a regular starter (as was the case for Urias and Ortiz) isn't the reason for the promotion.

[Aristotelian]

6 minutes ago, Brooks The Great said:

No, Vavra should stay on the roster since he's the emergency 3rd catcher. And he's someone who can pinch hit for Ortiz (once Joey is back up) later in games if the situation calls for it.

Mateo should be a pinch runner, and emergency OF. Which, as I've said multiple times on this board, makes McKenna the next guy who should be sent down. McKenna and O'Hearn should be the next 2 guys on the chopping block. 

There are multiple scenarios where McKenna gets sent down, all of them in play over the next month. Whether it's Westburg, Cowser, or Ortiz coming up - and they're all ready to contribute - McKenna is the most expendable guy on the roster if any of those 3 are promoted and an injury to a regular starter (as was the case for Urias and Ortiz) isn't the reason for the promotion.

McKenna is expendable, but Cowser shouldn't come up to play his role. Cowser should come up to be every day OF, shifting Santander to primary DH. Cowser would in effect take AB's that have recently gone to O'Hearn and Vavra, plus a few from Santander and Hays. That would still leave room for McKenna. I think O'Hearn is the most expendable since Urias and Santander can be the emergency 1B.  I'd rather have Vavra for 3rd C than O'Hearn for 3rd 1B. 

[Brooks The Great]

2 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

McKenna is expendable, but Cowser shouldn't come up to play his role. Cowser should come up to be every day OF, shifting Santander to primary DH. Cowser would in effect take AB's that have recently gone to O'Hearn and Vavra, plus a few from Santander and Hays. That would still leave room for McKenna. I think O'Hearn is the most expendable since Urias and Santander can be the emergency 1B.  I'd rather have Vavra for 3rd C than O'Hearn for 3rd 1B. 

I never said Cowser should take his role. Cowser should take over as the regular LF, move Hays to RF, and make Santander the regular DH.

Edited May 27, 2023 by Brooks The Great

[Aristotelian]

9 minutes ago, Brooks The Great said:

I never said Cowser should take his role. Cowser should take over as the regular LF, move Hays to RF, and make Santander the regular DH.

Ok, but why drop McKenna over O'Hearn? 

[Brooks The Great]

12 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Ok, but why drop McKenna over O'Hearn? 

So this is assuming everyone is healthy obviously. But you drop McKenna over O'Hearn because McKenna's value to the team is as a defensive replacement - and I'm not even sold on him as a defensive replacement because he's had several unacceptable defensive lapses this season.

Once Cowser is up, there's no need to replace anyone defensively in the outfield late in games. McKenna's not worth rostering just as a defensive replacement on the rare days Mullins/Hays/Cowser have a day off, because Santander can slide into the OF on those days. And then whoever had the day off can defensively replace Santander late in games.

Also, for all the people who think McKenna might actually be good, he can prove that in the minors playing every day and build up some trade value. That has way more utility to the organization than McKenna sitting on the bench and sporadically playing.

O'Hearn has more value (and that's not saying much because I don't think McKenna should even be on the roster) as a pinch hitter and occassionally spelling Mountcastle at 1B against righties. But O'Hearn is super expendable as well. It's just that Cowser is an OF and Westburg can play OF, and if Ortiz starts playing SS every day, then Mateo can also serve as an occasional emergency OF as well. He played some OF in spring training, so I'm certain Mateo can play any of the outfield spots in a pinch for an inning or two.

McKenna needs to go. 

[Aristotelian]

2 minutes ago, Brooks The Great said:

So this is assuming everyone is healthy obviously. But you drop McKenna over O'Hearn because McKenna's value to the team is as a defensive replacement - and I'm not even sold on him as a defensive replacement because he's had several unacceptable defensive lapses this season.

Once Cowser is up, there's no need to replace anyone defensively in the outfield late in games. McKenna's not worth rostering just as a defensive replacement on the rare days Mullins/Hays/Cowser have a day off, because Santander can slide into the OF on those days. And then whoever had the day off can defensively replace Santander late in games.

Also, for all the people who think McKenna might actually be good, he can prove that in the minors playing every day and build up some trade value. That has way more utility to the organization than McKenna sitting on the bench and sporadically playing.

O'Hearn has more value (and that's not saying much because I don't think McKenna should even be on the roster) as a pinch hitter and occassionally spelling Mountcastle at 1B against righties. But O'Hearn is super expendable as well. It's just that Cowser is an OF and Westburg can play OF, and if Ortiz starts playing SS every day, then Mateo can also serve as an occasional emergency OF as well. He played some OF in spring training, so I'm certain Mateo can play any of the outfield spots in a pinch for an inning or two.

McKenna needs to go. 

Yeah I disagree pretty strongly. OHearn hardly has a role as it is and Cowser would add another LHB. I would keep McKenna, Vavra, and OHearn in that order. I might not start McKenna vs LHP but it is worth keeping a good defensive OF.

[Brooks The Great]

4 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Yeah I disagree pretty strongly. OHearn hardly has a role as it is and Cowser would add another LHB. I would keep McKenna, Vavra, and OHearn in that order. I might not start McKenna vs LHP but it is worth keeping a good defensive OF.

We can agree to disagree. I believe McKenna and O'Hearn are exactly who will get DFA'd when Cowser and Westburg get called up barring injuries.

[forphase1]

4 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Yeah I disagree pretty strongly. OHearn hardly has a role as it is and Cowser would add another LHB. I would keep McKenna, Vavra, and OHearn in that order. I might not start McKenna vs LHP but it is worth keeping a good defensive OF.

Except I don't think he's really that good of a defender.  Be it the Boston blunder, taking bad routes, throwing to the wrong base/cut off man,  etc.  his defense is a bit overrated imo.  

[Sports Guy]

McKenna is an excellent back up OFer. 

[Brooks The Great]

1 minute ago, forphase1 said:

Except I don't think he's really that good of a defender.  Be it the Boston blunder, taking bad routes, throwing to the wrong base/cut off man,  etc.  his defense is a bit overrated imo.  

I agree, he's really not. I've seen enough baseball in my life to know that McKenna has misplayed way too many fly balls this season alone to be considered a good defender. And honestly, once Cowser is up, whether McKenna is actually a good defensive OF is just so inconsequential to the team's success at that point. 

I can't wait for McKenna and his stupid bandana to get sent down to the minors where he belongs.

[LA2]

Jorge made good contact today, incl. getting robbed of a double or triple on a snowcone catch by Garcia twisting back and leaping in RF.

[InsideCoroner]

2 hours ago, LA2 said:

Jorge made good contact today, incl. getting robbed of a double or triple on a snowcone catch by Garcia twisting back and leaping in RF.

He also unnecessarily got doubled off 2B on a soft liner that Adley hit at the left fielder, killing a potential rally. That was aggravating.

[Frobby]

11 hours ago, LA2 said:

Jorge made good contact today, incl. getting robbed of a double or triple on a snowcone catch by Garcia twisting back and leaping in RF.

Yes, I think he’s showing signs of coming out of the deep freeze the last couple of games.   Let’s hope so.   

[LA2]

12 hours ago, InsideCoroner said:

He also unnecessarily got doubled off 2B on a soft liner that Adley hit at the left fielder, killing a potential rally. That was aggravating.

Needless to say, hitting the ball, not baserunning, has been his problem all month, and so that's why I only mentioned the former.

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, LA2 said:

Needless to say, hitting the ball, not baserunning, has been his problem all month, and so that's why I only mentioned the former.

It's difficult to make baserunners errors when you don't get on base.